Pulling a 35lb sulcata out of a burrow

[SinLA]

That was some serious grade-A stink eye he was giving you!

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Was it a sulcata who was walking with a VW Party Van on its back?

It may as well have been!
She is AAAALLLLL dead weight when you go to lift her….😭🙆‍♀️🤦‍♀️

 

[Chefdenoel10]

That was some serious grade-A stink eye he was giving you!

Holy cow!!!
That’s what I was thinking!!!!
Ryan you got a side eye that could seriously blind a person!!!! 😦

 

[ryan57]

Holy cow!!!
That’s what I was thinking!!!!
Ryan you got a side eye that could seriously blind a person!!!! 😦

Yeah. I suspect that he remembers both the battle and his tantrum.

 

[ryan57]

Hmm. Didn't want to come out last night when we had company. He had a rope (a small tree root) to put his front legs around. I had to cut the root before I could reach in his burrow (barely) and retract his front legs and get him out. He's 18.75" long and 40.5 lbs at 2 years and almost 4 months.

I definitely lost the first 7 rounds but won the fight in the 8th. Today I'm paying the price with cuts on my hands, bruises on my arms, etc.

This evening I put a 150b floor jack over the plywood covering his burrow and got some bushes and trees at the nursery for shade.

Being that this is in no way sustainable, after our walk down the road today we went to a park less than a quarter mile from our yard and he explored 12 acres of this park so he has our 2 acres, the 1/4 mile road, and swale behind the houses. We were the only ones there and can ride the ATV and his cart to said park in the future. He was the happiest sulcata tortoise in the world this afternoon. Down to the creek, across the creek, through the woods, across fields, etc.

 

[Yvonne G]

View attachment 372741
Hmm. Didn't want to come out last night when we had company. He had a rope (a small tree root) to put his front legs around. I had to cut the root before I could reach in his burrow (barely) and retract his front legs and get him out. He's 18.75" long and 40.5 lbs at 2 years and almost 4 months.

I definitely lost the first 7 rounds but won the fight in the 8th. Today I'm paying the price with cuts on my hands, bruises on my arms, etc.

This evening I put a 150b floor jack over the plywood covering his burrow and got some bushes and trees at the nursery for shade.

Being that this is in no way sustainable, after our walk down the road today we went to a park less than a quarter mile from our yard and he explored 12 acres of this park so he has our 2 acres, the 1/4 mile road, and swale behind the houses. We were the only ones there and can ride the ATV and his cart to said park in the future. He was the happiest sulcata tortoise in the world this afternoon. Down to the creek, across the creek, through the woods, across fields, etc.

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!! It really tells the tale!

 

[Chefdenoel10]

View attachment 372741
Hmm. Didn't want to come out last night when we had company. He had a rope (a small tree root) to put his front legs around. I had to cut the root before I could reach in his burrow (barely) and retract his front legs and get him out. He's 18.75" long and 40.5 lbs at 2 years and almost 4 months.

I definitely lost the first 7 rounds but won the fight in the 8th. Today I'm paying the price with cuts on my hands, bruises on my arms, etc.

This evening I put a 150b floor jack over the plywood covering his burrow and got some bushes and trees at the nursery for shade.

Being that this is in no way sustainable, after our walk down the road today we went to a park less than a quarter mile from our yard and he explored 12 acres of this park so he has our 2 acres, the 1/4 mile road, and swale behind the houses. We were the only ones there and can ride the ATV and his cart to said park in the future. He was the happiest sulcata tortoise in the world this afternoon. Down to the creek, across the creek, through the woods, across fields, etc.

My poor Ryan…..
You look beat. 🤭😂🫢

But hey…..
You managed to find happiness for your day together.
Even though they act like boogers sometimes, you and I KNOW…..
We love them with everything we got!
🥰

P.S.—— you DO know that he is STILL the BOSS …. right??? 🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣🤣😂

He just gave in KNOWING you’d take him to the park! 🤣🤣🤣😂🤣😂🤣🤣🤣🤣

🙏❤️ peace and happiness for your sleep tonight dear Ryan.. 😂😂🤭🤭🤭🤭🤭

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

If this isn’t the face of a tortoise who damn well knows he’s still boss then idk what is😂😂😂
The little side eye🤣

 

[Chefdenoel10]

If this isn’t the face of a tortoise who damn well knows he’s still boss then idk what is😂😂😂
The little side eye🤣

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣…🤭🤭🤭…🫢

 

[SinLA]

I feel like this thread should be required reading for anyone buying a sulcata…

 

[Maggie3fan]

I am not sure just exactly why, but I have kept, fostered and adopted numerous Sulcata over almost 20 years and not one ever tried to dig a burrow. I have a 20'x12' exgardeners shed outfitted for big tortoises with doggie doors on 2 sides. Maybe I've just been lucky

 

[S2G]

Youre killing me🤣 That hoodie pic had me rolling. Sulcatas are some characters. I had my buddies for a yr & no way id stick my hands in there with him. I ended up digging him out. He was a good bit bigger than yours though. Lets see he busted out the side of his shed, broke through the porch railing, attacked the neighbors dog, & broke the leg on my chair i was sitting in sending me crashing back. That was in a yr!! Once he got wedged in it was game over. It was a sad day giving him back.

 

[ryan57]

Youre killing me🤣 That hoodie pic had me rolling. Sulcatas are some characters. I had my buddies for a yr & no way id stick my hands in there with him. I ended up digging him out. He was a good bit bigger than yours though. Lets see he busted out the side of his shed, broke through the porch railing, attacked the neighbors dog, & broke the leg on my chair i was sitting in sending me crashing back. That was in a yr!! Once he got wedged in it was game over. It was a sad day giving him back.

Just the right amount of mayhem… when it’s not you. Busts out the shed and knocks you out of the chair! Oh yeah. With this guy only being 2, I can’t imagine wrestling one 150-200 lbs. when he’s older.

 

[mojo_1]

Just the right amount of mayhem… when it’s not you. Busts out the shed and knocks you out of the chair! Oh yeah. With this guy only being 2, I can’t imagine wrestling one 150-200 lbs. when he’s older.

At 150-200 lbs stumps probably going to go into kill dozer mode.🤣🤣

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Mine at 100lbs picked my husband UP when he was laying on a QUEEN SIZED BED!! It looked like a football tryouts!!!!
….🤭….she won. 🤣😂
The expression on his face!! 🤣😂😭😭🤣
PRICELESS!!!
She knows not to …. F…. With me though.
She gets a right smack on the buttocks!
…then steps on my un shoes foot!
🤬
YOWWWWCCCHHHH!!!!!! 😵‍💫

 

[ryan57]

Mine at 100lbs picked my husband UP when he was laying on a QUEEN SIZED BED!! It looked like a football tryouts!!!!
….🤭….she won. 🤣😂
The expression on his face!! 🤣😂😭😭🤣
PRICELESS!!!
She knows not to …. F…. With me though.
She gets a right smack on the buttocks!
…then steps on my un shoes foot!
🤬
YOWWWWCCCHHHH!!!!!! 😵‍💫

Now that one gave me more than a chuckle! You’re hilarious.

 

[Chefdenoel10]

Now that one gave me more than a chuckle! You’re hilarious.

The WHOLE BED went UP IN THE AIR!!!!
🤣😂🤣😂

 

[S2G]

Just the right amount of mayhem… when it’s not you. Busts out the shed and knocks you out of the chair! Oh yeah. With this guy only being 2, I can’t imagine wrestling one 150-200 lbs. when he’s older.

That was a hard knocks learning experience for sure. He was huge & my buddy dropped him off like he was a big chill hermann's. Big boy busted through the wooden fence & started attacking my neighbors dog that was on a lead in the 1st week. The guy called me & said hey brother can you come get your big azz turtle out my yard!!🤣 He'd just wake up & choose violence some days.

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

I feel like my russian (and probably most other russians as well) have a big sulcata ego but thankfully not the size and power of a giant tortoise 😅